Cancer is a global health concern affecting millions of people. Since it represents the phenotypic end-point of multiple genetic lesions, cancer endows cells with a full range of biological properties required for tumorigenesis. This complex myriad of biological causes resulting in the same phenotype indicates that novel compositions and methods for effectively diagnosing and treating cancer are needed to combat the ineffectiveness of any given cancer therapy. For example, chemotherapeutics can work by interfering with cell cycle progression or by generating DNA strand breaks. If the cancer cell is not able to overcome the cell cycle blockage or cell injury caused by the therapeutic compound, the cell will often die via apoptotic mechanisms. Yet cancer cells commonly develop resistance to the chemotherapeutic agent thereby rendering a given chemotherapeutic agent or cancer therapy targeting a certain biological mechanism ineffective. Despite decades of scientific research, few effective therapies have emerged to target alternative biological pathways critical to the development of cancer. Accordingly, there is a great need to identify compositions and methods to effectively target such biological pathways.